System components that are manufactured so as to be adaptable for multiple and varied uses and/or users often require some mechanism or method for adjustment(s) to enable any necessary adaptations. For example, while an available mechanical system component may provide a needed functionality, it may also have certain physical characteristics, such as dimensions or mounting features (e.g., holes, slots, etc.), that require modification(s) for a planned use. Further physical modification of the system component itself may not be possible for various reasons, such as risk of damage to the component resulting from the form or manner of the applied modification, or costs associated with the modification(s) in view of the number of components ultimately needed.
For example, the assignee has a situation where a system component in which significant engineering, design and development work and costs have been invested to produce a high degree of performance of the task for which the component was designed. While it has found uses in a number of similar, though varied, applications, some modifications have been necessary. For example, in one case, the system component has a number of precisely designed and proportioned apertures in a metal panel having a precisely designed material, thickness and finish. Various uses for this component require numerous panel regions around the apertures to have thicknesses that differ not only from the original design but also among the various apertures. However, for various reasons, redesigning and manufacturing the component to have the different thicknesses is not viable or cost effective.
Instead, to accommodate this need for more and varied thicknesses, precision shims have been designed for installation with an adhesive to bond the shims to the panel. As part of their installation, in addition to their proper alignment and placement, clamping must be provided while the adhesive cures sufficiently to ensure that the shims remain properly aligned and placed. Such alignment, placement and clamping has been performed using hand tools requiring two persons, with one person needed to align and place the shim and another on the other side of the panel (which is large enough to preclude one person from being able to perform this operation alone) to engage the clamping action of the tool (e.g., by tightening a nut on a threaded shaft extending through the aperture). Accordingly, there is a need for a hand tool for enabling a single operator to perform this task while also enabling self-alignment of the shim and post alignment clamping.